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Universal M25 Exhaust Riser/Elbow Options

This is the result of Wednesday evening's work out at the boat. It's part of my Alternator Bracket replacement project (more on that later when I finish the project). I couldn't get the exhaust flange off of the manifold due to too-little nut clearance on the bottom stud. The two parts came off the block in one piece without too much trouble.

Obviously, I'll get the manifold boiled out and repainted. My question is what to do with the elbow. I could have it boiled out too, but that still won't tell me how bad the corrosion is inside the elbow. A lot of the reading I found online suggested that the useful life of an exhaust elbow may be about 3-5 years in salt water. This particular riser/elbow has been in fresh water for the last 20+ years, but I'll have it in seawater from now on. I'm guessing it came with the boat back in 1985.

Other posts I've seen on elbow replacement have shown either a Westerbeke unit:

My replacement elbow is a welded assembly of stainless steel, basically made of three 90 degree tubing elbows (not cast street elbows) and a couple of straight sections. I wish I had taken a picture before wrapping it and painting it, but here it is ready to re-install. I had it fabricated and installed in 2004. We are full time in salt water. Still going strong. I just had it cleaned last year. I should have cleaned it 5 or 6 years ago. I was charged $200 in 2004, but that included mark-up from the engine shop. Threaded (pipe thread) to fit the flange of course. I have to take the flange off to get it out, but there is plenty of clearance on that bottom stud vs. your situation.

Westerbeke Elbow

Hi Respected Sailors. We replaced our elbow 20+ years ago and it is still fine (Ihope). It "looks like" the Westerbeke elbow
Season in NH is only 4-5 months. We don't do the cruising miles in the last ten years that we did in the first 20.
Pat O'Connell
Chips 1981 Ericson 28+ Universal 5411

Stainless exhaust plumbing.

Craig has doe something similar to what my friend Gary did on his Yanmar 2 in his E31. Bu Gary primarily used off the shelf plumbing with little welding except for the water inlet pipe slightly hidden in the attached photo. Glyn Judson, E31 hull #55, Marina del Rey CA

Thanks for the input. Sounds like everyone's had good results with both the do-it-yourself methods and the factory parts. Lots of options....

Does anyone know the part number and a good vendor for the Westerbeke replacement riser-elbow? I'd like to do a cost comparison and I haven't been able to locate the part from either Westerbeke or Universal.

Thanks for the input. Sounds like everyone's had good results with both the do-it-yourself methods and the factory parts. Lots of options....

Does anyone know the part number and a good vendor for the Westerbeke replacement riser-elbow? I'd like to do a cost comparison and I haven't been able to locate the part from either Westerbeke or Universal.

Hard to Find

Ken- I tried to order this very part, Universal Diesel 200266 1.25 inch exhaust riser, from Toad Marine (formerly known as Torresen Marine). This is the one stamped with Westerbeke on it. Toad Marine was the website that came up most often when this part was searched for, as well as many other parts for my M18 engine. I have come across this website many times in the past and have heard of others having no issues with it, unlike me. I ordered the riser and some gaskets on January 4, got email receipt back saying part would ship January 14. The part has not arrived, and no correspondence has been received. Phone calls to customer service go to voicemail. Emails to customer service are unreturned. I cannot get ahold of anyone. My credit card was billed.

Buyer beware. Also it appears that some other websites with the same part are affiliated with this company.

I am going to Plan B and I will try ordering one through a local storefront.

Actually, I haven't gotten around to separating the riser from the manifold yet. Maybe I'll spray it with PBblaster tonight and get the pipe wrenches on it tomorrow.

I measured the OD of threaded nipple (between the manifold and riser) with calipers and it came to 1-11/16". I checked some fittings at the hardware store, and 1-1/4" ID iron pipe has that same OD. Funny, though, that the hose fitting that exits the riser/elbow is a full 2" OD, but it's thick cast steel, so the ID is closer to 1-1/4" (hard to tell with all the interior corrosion). Guess that means I have a 1.25" exhaust system.

I found a full-service radiator shop in Tacoma today. The place was full of marine parts. They had several cylindrical-style heat exchangers they were working on that must have been 6" in diameter. The guy said they boil out manifolds and heat exchangers all the time. He said they soak them in two different type of solutions and that it can take up to a week to boil all the crud out. That'll be my next stop after I get the heat exchanger pulled (pretty easy to do with the manifold & exhaust lines already off).

I also got the alternator rebuilt at a local shop. New brushes, bearings, cleaned out & painted. Charged me over $100 bucks though. Guess I should have talked price with him before I dropped the part off. I now have one of the finest and priciest 32 year old Motorola 55A alternators around!

I think it's the oil warning sensor. There is probably no harm in putting in a new one--they aren't expensive--but I have no idea if that's necessary or not. One of the real experts on this site will surely have the answer shortly.

Riser woes

The studs holding the manifold to the exhaust flange were impossible for me to remove, despite months of penetrating oil and double nuts and finally filing the ends flat and using large wrenches. So I took the manifold to an engine shop. They said they were "pretty difficult" to remove, so it was worth the expense. They also ground the end of the manifold flat. I have also tried for months to remove the exhaust riser elbow from the old exhaust flange, since the aluminum elbow is falling to pieces. I finally gave up and ordered a new exhaust flange and studs. I have a local engine shop trying to source a new riser. We'll see if they are successful.